Prof. Nii Quaynor - Pioneer of African Internet

The accessibility of the internet to more people, specifically Africans cannot be talked about without mentioning Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor. It is often overlooked that Ghanaian engineer and science professor was responsible for making sure Africa was part of that transformation.

Quaynor, an engineering and computer science graduate from the University of New York and Dartmouth College in the United Kingdom, returned to his home country to head the first computer science department at the University of Cape Coast in Accra in 1977.

During the early 1990s, as internet technology developed across the world, he began spearheading the establishment of Africa's first internet connectivity. He did this through setting up key organisations, including the African Network Operators Group, as well introducing Value Added Networks, Swift (global financial telecommunications) and other burgeoning commerce technology systems. These were all integral in making the internet more accessible and above all, more secure.

Quaynor was the first African to be elected to the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), a leading international organisation dedicated to keeping internet technology "secure, safe and interoperable". Between 2000 and 2004, he served as the Icann director for the African region, ensuring that technology advancements made in the United States and Europe were also available to Africa.

Source: AllAfrica